Eight companies approved for START-UP NY at UB

It was standing room only on June 4 when Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo announced the eight companies that have been selected as the inaugural group of START-UP NY companies relocating on or near the UB campuses.

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START-UP NY companies are eager to work with UB researchers and hire UB students, said UB President Satish K. Tripathi at a news conference on Wednesday.

“START-UP NY is a very innovative way to connect the strengths of a major research university, like the University at Buffalo, with the expertise and energy of entrepreneurs and businesspeople.”

UB President Satish K. Tripathi

BUFFALO, N.Y. – Eight companies have been selected as the
inaugural group of START-UP NY companies relocating on or near the
University at Buffalo campuses, New York State Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo
announced today.

Under the governor’s START-UP NY program, the eight
companies are receiving major tax incentives to relocate to,
start-up or expand in Buffalo through their affiliation with
UB.

Each of the companies has strong ties to the university and
range from a German life sciences firm to a developer of software
for wearable devices. They are projected to generate a combined 204
jobs over the next five years and will collaborate with UB faculty
researchers and students.

“START-UP NY is a very innovative way to connect the
strengths of a major research university, like the University at
Buffalo, with the expertise and energy of entrepreneurs and
businesspeople,” said UB President Satish K. Tripathi.
“The university is excited to be working closely with
these eight companies as they grow, become successful and provide
internships and career opportunities for our students and the
Western New York community.”

START-UP NY stands for SUNY Tax-free Areas to Revitalize and
Transform Upstate NY. The statewide program aims to spur
economic development by enabling universities to identify areas
where new and expanding businesses can operate for 10 years without
paying New York State business, corporate, income, sales or
property taxes, or franchise fees.

Approved in April by the state, UB’s START-UP NY plan
designates 175,000 square feet of space as tax-free zones on or
near the university’s North, South and Downtown
campuses. To be eligible, businesses must align with or
further the academic mission of the university.

More than 75 companies have expressed serious interest in
START-UP NY, said Alexander N. Cartwright, UB vice president for
research and economic development, and the university expects
agreements with additional companies to be finalized over the next
few months.

“START-UP NY is clearly an attractive opportunity for many
companies and entrepreneurs,” Cartwright said.
“When you add it to the exciting progress being made in
Buffalo in life sciences research and informatics, advanced
manufacturing, nanotechnology and medical care, START-UP NY has the
potential to greatly accelerate the growth of Buffalo’s
knowledge-based economy.”

The eight companies announced today are either relocating to
Buffalo from outside the state, expanding into new space from local
incubators or are new startups spun off from partnerships with UB
researchers.

“Buffalo Niagara Enterprise (BNE) is very pleased to work
with our partners at the University at Buffalo and Empire State
Development to promote START-UP NY and provide economic development
assistance to those companies seeking to participate in the
program,” said BNE President and CEO Thomas Kucharski.
“Our colleges and universities are major economic
drivers, and a program like START-UP NY serves as a tremendous
catalyst for connecting our higher educational assets with the
investment and job creation opportunities we are seeking to attract
to the region.

“Two successful BNE projects, Sinapis Pharma and Aesku.NY,
are among the companies announced today and we are looking forward
to more success stories in the future,” Kucharski added.

Two of the companies – Aesku.NY and Lineagen – were
attracted to Buffalo by the opportunity to partner with UB and the
New York Genome Center in the work of the Genomic Medicine Network,
which will use supercomputing power to analyze patient genomes and
develop personalized medical treatments. The Genomic Medicine
Network launched in Buffalo this year with $50 million to UB from
the governor’s “Buffalo Billion”
initiative. The initiative is investing $1 billion in the
Buffalo area to spur significant economic growth and create
thousands of new jobs.

The eight companies’ planned capital investments over the
next 5 years total $6,387,000.

UB’s eight START-UP NY companies are:

Aesku.NY, a subsidiary of Germany-based life sciences firm
Aesku.Diagnostics, is working with the New York Genome Center and
UB to advance new ways to treat, prevent and manage serious
disease. The company also will collaborate with UB’s School
of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences by recruiting graduates and
providing student internships. Aesku.NY is establishing a presence
in Buffalo at UB’s New York State Center of Excellence in
Bioinformatics and Life Sciences (CBLS) and at Hauptman-Woodward
Medical Research Institute. It projects creating 31 jobs over five
years.

ClearView Social is a software developer that works with law
firms to share news and information via social media. Located
within Z80 Incubator Labs, the firm will move into the Downtown
Gateway building. It expects to create 47 jobs over five years and
offer internships to four UB students. ClearView Social provides
software and consulting services to the UB Law School.

CoachMePlus provides athlete management information systems to
professional and collegiate sports teams. Located within Z80
Incubator Labs, the firm will move into the Downtown Gateway
building at 77 Goodell St. The company’s president and
co-founder, Kevin Dawidowicz, is a graduate of UB’s Center
for Entrepreneurial Leadership; he is also an officer on the
CEL’s alumni association board, and he mentors CEL
students. CoachMePlus projects creation of 25 jobs over five
years.

Decision Pace works with middle- and large-sized business
clients to mine raw data and create real-time web analytics that
are both visual and informative. Located within Z80 Incubator Labs,
the firm will move into the Downtown Gateway building. Decision
Pace, which is establishing an internship program with UB’s
Department of Computer Science and Engineering, projects that it
will create 49 jobs over five years.

Heads Up Display is a startup company that develops software
and hardware for wearable devices that allow the user to make
data-driven decisions in real time. The company, which works with
UB’s Department of Physics and is establishing partnerships
with other UB entities, will move into Z80 Incubator Labs where it
projects to create two jobs.

Utah-based Lineagen is a medical diagnostics company that is
working with the New York Genome Center and UB to study autism
spectrum disorder and other developmental delays. It will establish
an office in the CBLS; it projects hiring 10 employees over five
years.

Nupur Technologies is a startup company that is developing an
earwax cleaning device to be used by doctors. The company, which
projects creating 33 jobs over five years, will open an office at
UB’S Baird Research Park. It plans to hire two PhD graduates
from UB’s Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
and provide internships to School of Management students.

Sinapis Pharma is a Florida-based pharmaceutical company that
is developing a novel drug for the treatment of traumatic brain
injuries and strokes. The company, which will collaborate with
UB’s School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, will
establish offices in the CBLS and the Jacobs Institute. It projects
creating seven jobs over five years.

Editor's note: CoachMePlus and Sinapis Pharma are no longer
affiliated with START-UP NY.